Safavid Government Institutions

Willem Floor

The Safavid empire was one of the major political and social formations in the early modern world, but has attracted relatively little attention from historians, although this is changing. As a result, the study of Safavid institutions has long been characterized by an over reliance on Minorsky’s excellent translation of the Tadhkirat al-Moluk (published in 1943) in the same way that scholars have overused Savory’s translation of Iskander Beg Monshi’s History of Shah Abbas the Great and his articles on Safavid government. Floor’s work offers a fresh look at the subject matter, while it is the first detailed account of the state and army institutions and offices of the Safavid empire (1502-1736). It opens many new vistas and will stimulate many new avenues in the study of the Safavids in particular and the other regional Moslem empires of the 16-17th centuries. The analysis is careful, solid and exhaustive, and is based on a tremendous amount of work. The book offers a thorough analysis and examination of virtually all the available sources of information (Persian chronicles and archival documents; European traveler accounts, memoirs, and archival sources). The Dutch material is of particular importance and their integration with the more familiar information is unique. In addition to scholars of Iran, Central Asia and the Middle East, it would also be of interest to those working in the field of comparative institutions in history, sociology and political science.